


Truth Serum

by CubbieGirl1723



Category: Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: 2.16, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Logan to the Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 14:54:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15643050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CubbieGirl1723/pseuds/CubbieGirl1723
Summary: Veronica has a run in with the Fitzpatricks. Who's she gonna call? Spoilers: It's Logan.





	Truth Serum

**Author's Note:**

> I've been rewatching season 2 and...it could use more LoVe.

Veronica sat down behind the wheel of her LeBarron and tossed her hard hat on the passenger seat beside her and started her car. Her mind was whirling with what she had seen. Danny Boyd had access to plastic explosives...so were the Fitzpatricks framing Terrance Cook? Or were they behind the bus crash? She was so busy running through all the possible implications in her mind that she neglected to check her mirrors for a tail. 

Suddenly, a green muscle car barreled out of an alley and stopped in front of her, blocking the empty road. Veronica gasped and swerved, slamming on her brakes to avoid hitting the car. Dimly she registered that a black pick up truck had pulled up behind her. She looked around and realized she was in a rough part of town and the road was deserted. She gripped her steering wheel tightly as she heard the slam of car doors and her scared, panting breath. 

“Well, well, well. Veronica Mars. Again.” Liam Fitzpatrick loomed outside her window. She scrambled to engage the locks but wasn't fast enough. He yanked the door open and grabbed her arm, hauling her outside and pushing her against the side of her car. Danny Boyd was there, too, crowding into her personal space and she felt impossibly small. 

“I thought I told you to keep your nose out of my business,” Liam growled in her face. 

Veronica tried to turn away as his foul breath washed across her. Her arm hurt where his fingers were still squeezing her bicep and she knew she would have bruises to cover up tomorrow. 

“No, I wasn't,” she tried to protest. “It's just an article for the school paper…”

“What do you think, Danny?” Liam taunted and shook her arm. “School assignment?”

Danny bared his teeth in a predatory grin. “Could be, I suppose.” He paused. “But with the sheriff's daughter...seems suspicious.”

“No, please, just let me go,” Veronica protested futilely. 

“Not until we've had our fun.” 

\----

Veronica opened her eyes to find that her entire body hurt. Her cheek was stinging, but she realized that's because she was lying on gravel in the middle of the road. She didn't know what time it was but the deserted road was dark now. She tried to leverage herself into a sitting position but the second she put weight on her throbbing wrist, it sent excruciatingly sharp pains through her entire arm. It hurt so badly she thought she might throw up. She lay back down and closed her eyes to try to curb the dizziness that was rolling through her and focused on her breathing. 

After a moment, she opened her eyes and sat up, leaning against the LeBarron for support. She couldn't take deep breaths without a lot of pain, which made her think that something was wrong with her ribs. Her entire head was pounding and various parts of her face hurt...and after glancing at the weird angle of it, she was pretty sure her wrist was broken. 

Her equilibrium was obviously not reliable, but something felt off about the car she was leaning against. She slowly moved her pounding head to keep the nausea at bay and noticed that her tires had been slashed, at least the ones she could see. 

She very carefully pushed herself to standing, leaning heavily against her car the whole time. Her legs were wobbly and she saw spots but even with her fumbling fingers, she managed to open the door sink into the driver's seat. The effort left her sweaty and shaking. 

Still staring straight ahead so as not to jar anything, Veronica carefully reached over to the passenger seat and began rummaging in her purse. Finally, her fingers closed around the smooth square shape of her cell phone. 

She slid it open and hesitated. Her dad had called her earlier and let her know that one of his cases had unexpectedly taken him out of town for the weekend. Much as she didn't want him to get in trouble with his mom, she figured Wallace was her best bet. She punched in his speed dial number...and listened to his phone ring until she got his voicemail. Belatedly, she remembered him talking about his big date with Jane tonight. 

There was only one person left that she could call...and she really, really didn't want to call him. But neither Mac nor Jackie were the kind of friends who she could ask for help in this situation and she really couldn't think of an alternative. For reasons she was not prepared to analyze right now, he was still on her speed dial. If she could have taken a deep breath to prepare herself, she would have. Instead, she squeezed her eyes shut and pressed his preset number. 

“Is this a booty call, Veronica Mars?” 

Her breath came out ragged and she couldn't even begin to think of an appropriately quippy response.

“Logan,” was all she managed and then suddenly, she was sobbing, and oh, god, that hurt her ribs, and she desperately didn't want to cry in front of Logan but it was all just too much and she was so scared and everything hurt and why couldn't she stop? But all she could do was sob and say his name again. 

“Veronica?” He was instantly on alert. “Veronica, what's wrong? Where are you? Tell me what's wrong?” 

His voice had escalated with each question and she realized she needed to focus. 

“Logan, I need help,” she finally managed to tell him. She couldn't figure out how to say any more than that, how to tell him what happened. 

His tone was intense and reassuring at the same time. “I'm coming, baby. Where are you?”

She carefully glanced around, trying not to move too much. She was in a shady part of town somewhere, but it was dark with no streetlights and there weren't any visible signs, either. “I don't know.” 

Tears were still rolling down her cheeks and even with Logan's voice in her ear, everything felt too hopeless. She just couldn't do it. 

“What's the last thing you remember?” Logan sounded far away and she realized it was because she had dropped the phone into her lap. 

She put it back up to her ear. “Shark Field. I was leaving Shark Field,” she whispered. 

“Do you remember where you were going? Keep talking to me, Veronica.”

“Home,” and that made her cry more. 

“Okay, I'm coming to find you, don't worry.” Logan kept up a steady stream of chatter in her ear, forcing her to answer his questions and talk to him until he arrived. 

The slamming of his car door sounded much too loud and then he was outside her window. She couldn't figure out how Logan's body contained all of his frenetic energy. He was practically vibrating with anxiety as he opened her car door. 

He gasped when he saw her battered face. “Oh, baby, what happened? Who did this?” He reached out to touch her but pulled his hand back to avoid hurting her further. 

“Liam,” she croaked out. Logan's face darkened and a muscle jumped in his clenched jaw. His hands were balled into fists. 

She tried to put her good hand on his arm to calm him but she couldn't manage it and her hand merely fluttered at her side. 

Logan reigned his temper in and gently ran his hand over her hair while his quick eyes assessed the extent of her injuries. 

“Veronica, I'm taking you to the hospital.” His voice was decisive. 

Normally she would have argued with him on principle but she knew she needed medical attention. She nodded. 

He had expected her to refuse and her acquiescence scared him more than anything. He carefully scooped her into his arms and moved her to the front seat of the XTerra. He fastened her seatbelt, grabbed her purse and keys out of the LaBarron, and jumped into the driver's seat, speeding off to the hospital. 

\-----  
After X-rays and a thorough exam, the ER doctor determined that Veronica's wrist was broken and two of her ribs were bruised. She had superficial bruises on her torso and arms, plus a split lip, a scrape on her cheek, and the possibility of a slight concussion. Logan sat in the waiting room, his knee bouncing nervously, during the exam and while the nurse wrapped her ribs but Veronica insisted that Logan be allowed to sit with her while they put the cast on her wrist. (She picked black to match her mood.) 

Hours later, the kind but visibly tired doctor gave Logan some instructions for her care, gave Veronica a prescription for her pain, and released her. 

“You're coming to The Grand with me,” Logan insisted, and was surprised when she only put forth a token protest. He did agree to swing by her apartment for some clothes and to take care of Backup. 

Veronica was quiet as they entered the apartment. She let Logan take Backup for a quick walk while she threw some pajamas, sweats, and toiletries into an overnight bag. She knew it wouldn't be long before Logan wanted to know more about what happened but she wasn't sure she was ready to talk about it yet. And she had no idea what she would tell her dad when he returned. 

“Veronica,” he began as he drove them across town to his luxury hotel suite, “why did Liam Fitzpatrick assault you?”

“Because he's a terrible person?” She mumbled quietly. 

Logan had the grace to humor her and at least smile at her terrible joke. He wanted to squeeze her hand but her wrist was in a cast so he settled for a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 

“If I promise that I will tell you in the morning, will you just let me go to sleep?” Veronica tried to sound like an adult and keep the pleading note out of her voice but she wasn't entirely successful. Logan nodded, though, and helped her into the hotel. 

She ignored Duncan's half of the suite and got ready for bed in Logan's bathroom. Veronica was grateful that her cast was on her left wrist and not her right, but there were some basic tasks that were harder to accomplish one-handed. Dressing wasn't too bad and brushing her teeth was fine, too, but she couldn't figure out how to put her hair in a ponytail. After her third attempt she let out a growl of frustration and Logan knocked on the door. 

“Um, Veronica? Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

She opened the door to reveal her sweatpants and an oversized Neptune Basketball t-shirt. She was holding up the offensive hair tie and glaring at it. 

Logan plucked the elastic band from her fingers and proceeded to gently smooth her hair into a ponytail. It probably wasn't the prettiest but she was grateful to have her hair out of her face. 

“Thanks,” she said quietly, looking down at the floor. “Where'd you learn to do that?” She asked. 

“Lilly.” 

“Ah, that makes sense.” It was the sort of thing Lilly would have required of her boyfriends, that they do her hair, and Logan had always been eager to please in those days. 

“I'm just gonna get a pillow and then,” he gestured at the couch in the sitting area, “I'll come out here and let you sleep.”

“No.” Veronica's voice held a touch of panic and her eyes filled with tears. “Please. Please stay with me.”

“Okay,” Logan nodded and folded her into his arms. He had changed into grey sweatpants, slung low on his hips, and his black v-neck t-shirt felt soft and worn against her uninjured cheek. Her tears spilled over as he rubbed her back and murmured soothingly. It just felt so nice to be held by someone who cared about her, to have someone tell her that everything was going to be okay and actually have a part of her believe it. She tried so hard to project her bad girl persona to the world but Liam scared her today, shook her to her core, and broken her defenses down. Her walls were crumbling and Logan...Logan was there to help her pick up the pieces. Even after everything that had happened between them, she knew she could trust him with this. 

Logan led her over to his bed and pulled back the covers for half the bed. His eyes were kind as he patted the spot next to him. 

“Here,” he said. “Sleep will help.” 

Veronica nestled under the blankets and laid her head on Logan's chest. His steady heartbeat was reassuring and his strong arms made her feel safe as they encircled her. 

“Did you take the pain pill I brought you?” He asked against the top of her head. 

She nodded. 

“I'm supposed to wake you up a few times during the night in case you have a concussion,” he explained, and she nodded again. 

“Does that, does that mean that you'll stay in here with me?” Veronica's voice was small and muffled against his shirt. 

“If you want me to.” He was uncertain but Veronica nodded again. She had been plagued with nightmares for years now and knew that tonight would most likely be a bad night. Having Logan close by was a comforting thought. 

He was rubbing soothing circles on her back and it wasn't long before she fell into unconsciousness. 

\----

It wasn't exactly a restful night, between Logan waking her up to check on her and her vaguely threatening dreams. While she was ridiculously sore, she was feeling more like herself. She had woken up alone in the bed but she could hear Logan moving around in the living room area. After a quick trip to the bathroom, she decided to investigate. 

Logan had ordered them breakfast and she joined him on his leather couch. He was eating at the coffee table and gestured for her to dig in. 

Veronica swallowed a bite of her French toast. “This is good, thanks.”

“I'm glad to see your appetite’s okay.” Logan took a sip of coffee. 

She nodded. “I feel better. I mean, still kind of terrible, but better.”

“I'll get you a pain pill in a sec.” He paused and cleared his throat. “You need to tell me what happened.”

Apparently Logan was just going to jump into that one. Veronica let out a breath slowly and nodded. 

“Okay. But first, Logan…” their eyes met and she was overwhelmed by what she saw there. She knew she wasn't very good at this but owed it to Logan to try. She swallowed and began again. 

“I didn't really get a chance to thank you yesterday.” He started to protest but she waved him off. “No, let me finish. I don't know if you had plans for the weekend or what but you just dropped everything for me and, and you took such good care of me,” her voice started to wobble again, “and you didn't have to do that after some of the things that have happened between us, but you did and...thank you.”

Logan reached out and squeezed her good hand. “You're welcome, Veronica.” He shrugged. “You would have done the same for me.”

She realized that he was right, she would have. She and Logan, not exactly friends, but so tangled into each other's lives that they weren't exactly separate either. 

He cleared his throat. “So. The Fitzpatricks.” 

She nodded, not sure where to begin. 

“What happened?”

“I was curious about explosives, like the ones used to blow up the bus and the ones they will use for the Shark Field demolition. Danny Boyd is working on the job site so he has access but he saw me and must have called Liam. I was careless and…” she gestured at her injuries to avoid telling him any more of the details. 

Logan's fists were clenched again. “They’ll pay.” His voice was low and calm but it sent a shiver of fear through her. 

“No, Logan, you have to leave it alone.” She placed her good hand on his arm to try and calm him. “Help me find out if they are behind the bus crash and then let justice take its course.”

Veronica had never voluntarily included him in any of her investigations. She didn't particularly want to but she was smart enough to know that she needed a partner and she needed to placate Logan. It seemed like a neat solution. 

Logan pondered her proposition for a beat. “What if they didn't crash the bus? They still have to pay for this,” he growled. 

“I'm sure if we are looking into them we can find something illegal that's going on.” Veronica wasn't sure but this answer seemed to satisfy Logan. 

“Nothing dangerous without me?” He asked and she nodded her agreement. 

She held out her good right hand for him to shake. “Partners?”

He solemnly shook her hand. “Partners,” he echoed. 

“So what do you want to do today?” Logan asked as he took another bite of his pancakes. 

Veronica was grateful for the change in subject. 

“Mmm, take a shower,” popped out of her mouth before she had a chance to think about it. Her eyes widened as she waited for Logan's sexual quip, but nothing came. 

“Okay.” He gave her a small smile. “Let me know if you need anything.” 

“Maybe I'll let you braid my hair later,” Veronica joked. 

“Can't wait.”

\-----

Veronica was doing pretty well with just one functioning hand but she had run into a roadblock. One she really, really wanted to avoid. She figured out how to wash her hair one-handed (the wrist with the cast was secured in a plastic bag) and while it wasn't the cleanest her hair had ever been, it would suffice. But now that she was out of the shower, she couldn't figure out how to wrap her ribs by herself with just one working hand. Wrists were more useful than she had previously realized. Unwrapping the binding had been easy but…. 

She tried to take a deep breath as a test but the resulting pain let her know she couldn't go without wrapping her torso quite yet. She couldn't believe that she was going to have to ask Logan Echolls for help with something involving her naked breasts. She grit her teeth and opened the door. 

“Logan?” She called softly, sticking her head out the door. She had put on clean underwear and yoga pants and she clutched the hotel’s fluffy white towel to her chest with her good hand. 

He appeared momentarily and his eyebrows shot up at the sight of her. 

“Um, I can't get my ribs wrapped by myself,” she quietly admitted. 

To her surprise, Logan kept his innuendo to himself. He was almost clinical as he held out his hand for the bandage. 

She squeezed her eyes shut. This had to be one of the most embarrassing things she'd ever had to endure. At least it wasn't the first time he had seen her topless. She dropped her towel. 

At Logan's gasp her eyes flew open. She looked down and realized that his reaction was not because of her breasts (although she distinctly remembered him telling her they were “perfect” last summer) but due to the bruises covering her torso and arms. 

“Oh my god, Veronica.” He dropped to his knees and pressed his cheek to her stomach, holding her gently. 

It actually felt quiet nice but she was still half-naked so…

“Logan, I'm gonna be fine.” She ran her hand through his hair reassuringly. “Mostly thanks to you taking such good care of me. But…”

“Yeah, sorry.” Logan stood up and began the process of bandaging her ribs. Veronica shut her eyes again, not sure that she could handle seeing the compassion in his eyes. She tried not to think about what he was doing, about Logan's gentle hands brushing the underside of her breasts, but she knew her pebbled nipples were giving her away. Although her entire torso was covered with goosebumps so maybe he'd actually believe she was just cold. 

“There you go.” He gave her an awkward pat on the back and she opened her eyes. 

Crossing her arms over her chest, she raised up on her tip-toes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Sorry if I ruined second base for you. Thanks for being a gentleman!” And she turned and fled back into the bathroom to finish getting dressed. 

A few minutes later, after she thought her blushing face had calmed down, she emerged with a comb and hair ties. She handed them wordlessly to Logan and went and sat down on the floor in front of the couch like a little girl. 

Logan sat behind her and began combing. “I hate to disappoint you, babe, but I don't actually know how to braid.”

Veronica chuckled. “I think a basic ponytail will be sufficient.”

“What's it called when you have the two ponytails?” He asked. 

“Um, pigtails?”

“Yeah, I always think that's cute.”

Veronica couldn't believe she was sitting in Logan's hotel room discussing cute hairstyles with him. Although she supposed it was better than being topless. 

“You can take me home now,” she blurted. 

“What? Am I that bad at doing your hair?You haven't even seen it yet!” Logan was mock-offended. 

“No, it's just, I'm sure you have things to do...and Hannah...well, she probably wouldn't like it if she found out that I stayed in your hotel room...not that anything happened! Oh, god, I'm not implying that she's jealous...” She was babbling but she couldn't figure out how to stop. 

Finally Logan put her out of her misery and interrupted. 

“I would hate for this to get out and ruin my playboy reputation, but I actually don't have anything better to do. And Hannah…” he paused, “isn't really a thing anymore.”

“Oh.” Veronica really didn't know what to say. 

“So, movies? Video games? Any preference?” Logan was still fiddling with her hair and while she wouldn't admit it to him, his fingers felt amazing on her scalp. 

“Could you take me to my apartment? Just to take care of Backup and grab some homework,” she added quickly. 

“Sure. Go check your hair and see if it’s okay first.”

“I'm sure it's adorable, thank you.” She patted his knee as she stood up and smiled. She checked her reflection in the mirror by the door. 

“And if you ignore my split lip and scraped cheek, I look great.” She sighed. “I don't think anyone will notice my hair.” Veronica turned back to Logan, who had grabbed his keys. 

He didn't say anything, just reached out and gently caressed her uninjured cheek. She put her hand on top of his and held it there as he gently kissed her forehead. 

“You're gonna be okay, and that's what matters.” 

With that, he turned and walked out the door. 

\------

She and Logan visited Backup, grabbed some more clothes and school work from her apartment, and spent the day watching movies in his hotel suite. 

Veronica was surprised at how comfortable she felt with Logan. She was worried that things would be awkward but they seemed to fall back into their old rhythms of friendship easily. If she was being honest, she was also a little disappointed. Logan was treating her exactly like one of his guy friends--he wasn't overly flirty, didn't make too many sexual jokes, and was very solicitous about her condition. She was grateful, but if she had been hoping to see if that spark was still there between them (which she, of course, wasn't) it definitely answered her question. Logan obviously wasn't attracted to her anymore. Which was all for the best, because she wasn't attracted to him, either. As she continued to remind herself all day. Twice when he stood up and stretched, showing a sliver of skin and hipbones between the hem of his black t-shirt and the waistband of his grey sweatpants. 

Logan ordered them room service for dinner and reminded her to take her pain pill. 

She grumbled about his babysitting skills but complied anyway to keep the soreness at bay. 

“How many should I take?” She called from the bathroom. She turned on the faucet and filled a glass with water. 

“So, tonight, what do you want to do?” He called back, not hearing her question over the running water. 

Veronica couldn't quite make out his response. “Two? Okay.” 

“Hey, you probably shouldn't operate heavy machinery yet,” he said as she came back into the sitting room. “Want me to pick you up for school on Monday?” He offered. 

Instead of answering, Veronica gasped. “My car! I forgot all about it! I just left it there and the tires--”

Logan interrupted her. “Oh, I had it towed.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I called last night while you were getting your X-rays. It was towed to your mechanic’s and the tires are being replaced.” He shrugged. “Not sure when we can pick it up, but not until you're ready to drive.”

Veronica studied him. “Thank you, Logan,” she finally said, quietly. After a pause she suspiciously asked, “Why are you being so nice to me?”

He just shrugged again. 

“I'll pay you back for the tires, of course.” It wasn't a question. 

“Well, you've done so much for my case, I figure new tires is the least I could do,” Logan explained. 

“I still think I owe you...and for dinner tonight…”

He could tell that Veronica was getting uncomfortable. “I have an idea.”

She was sure he was going to suggest something sexual but all he said was “How about you let me beat you at Mario Brothers?” 

Veronica held up her cast in response. 

Logan nodded. “Yeah, I finally have a shot at winning. Gotta take advantage of it.”

\-----

After dutifully letting Logan win, Veronica yawned. “I think this medication is starting to kick in. It makes me sleepy.”

Logan nodded. “That's a common side effect. At least you don't have a concussion and you're allowed to sleep all night.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Need help with anything?” He offered as she headed toward the bathroom to get ready for bed. 

She was slightly disappointed to notice that he wasn't being suggestive but genuine. 

\-----

Veronica sank down on the couch next to  
him and laid her head in his lap. 

“Come tuck me in?” She requested, looking up at him innocently. She reached her hands up and started running them through Logan's hair and rubbing his chest. 

“Uh, yeah, okay.” Logan grabbed her wandering hands and eyed her suspiciously. “Veronica, do you feel okay?”

She sat up quickly and held her head. “A little dizzy,” she giggled. 

He checked her pupils. “No concussion...Veronica, how many pills did you take?”

She held up two fingers. “Wasn't that right?”

“I think you were only supposed to take one…” he got up to inspect the instructions on the medicine bottle in the bathroom. 

“How much do you weigh, again?” He called into the living room. 

Veronica's only response was more giggles. 

“Oh, crap,” Logan muttered under his breath. 

“Are you ready for bed?” He asked, coming back into the sitting room and praying she was. 

“Mmm-hmm,” she nodded happily. “As long as you'll come with me.” She patted the couch next to her and gave a wide grin. 

Logan swallowed audibly. He had been trying so hard to make Veronica comfortable and dampen the sexual tension between them. He had worked hard not to flirt with her so that she would let him take care of her. He didn't want things to be awkward and give her a reason to run away. He knew he absolutely must not take advantage of her intoxicated state. He would just have to do his best to keep thinking of her like a sister. But god, she was so sexy in those yoga pants and all he wanted to do was protect her from everything bad. Which meant he had to tread carefully and not act like a jealous boyfriend; he knew from experience that that tactic would not be successful. But she let her friend Wallace help her, which he had convinced himself meant he had to play up the friend angle. 

“Logan,” she sing-songed. “Come sit with me!” 

He took a deep breath and grabbed her hand. The sooner she fell asleep, the sooner his torture would end. “Let's get you to bed.”

Thankfully, Veronica was pretty compliant, if a bit handsy. He got her settled in his bed although he had let her pretty much wrap herself around him to get her to agree with it. It had been a while since Snuggly Veronica had made an appearance in his life. She had always been more cuddly when she was tipsy and apparently being high on prescription drugs had the same effect. It was like having a spider monkey in his lap He prayed that she wouldn't notice any sort of physical reaction to her close proximity. 

He had turned on a movie and tried to focus on it but he had no idea what was even playing, let alone what it was about. 

“Logan?” Veronica asked sleepily, raising her head from where it was pillowed on his chest. Her good arm was wrapped around him and their legs were intertwined. He was pretty sure he was just a human body pillow at this point and he tried to keep telling himself that he didn't like it at all. 

“Yeah?” He responded. 

“Don't you like me anymore?” Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears and her voice was wavering. 

“Oh, baby, of course I like you.” He tried to be reassuring and not patronising. He figured that the medicine she had taken was causing a mood swing. He remembered that sometimes his mom would get like this. 

He rubbed her lower back with one hand and smoothed the other one over her hair, still in pigtails from earlier. Even if she only asked because she had taken too many pills, he decided that he could still be honest with her, maybe more so if there was a chance she wouldn't remember everything tomorrow. 

“Veronica, you're pretty much my best friend right now, maybe my only friend. I like you a lot.”

“I know,” she moaned. “That's the problem.” And she put her head back down on his chest. 

“The problem? Baby, I don't understand.”

“You've been a perfect gentleman all day. You haven't tried to take advantage of me once or flirt with me. I don't want you to like me as a friend!” She wailed. 

Logan's eyebrows reached his hairline. This medicine was like truth serum or something. 

He spoke hesitantly. “I thought that's what you needed.”

She shook her head against his chest. “Not from you.”

“Oh. Okay. I promise tomorrow when you're not high on pain pills, I will try to take advantage of you more.” 

She nodded happily. Maybe being partners didn't necessarily mean they had to keep it strictly friends, or maybe she would change her mind about everything in the morning. For now he decided to let himself enjoy having her in his arms. 

She slid up his body and placed a kiss on his cheek before laying her head back down on his chest and mumbling sleepy nonsense about a lawn mower. Then she kissed his chest through his t-shirt. And his neck. And his cheek again. 

“Veronica…” His voice held a warning tone but she just giggled. 

Her tongue darted out of her mouth to lick his neck. “You taste good,” she whispered in a seductive voice. 

He groaned. “Veronica…” Now his tone was pleading. 

“I need you to be good.” He tried to shift her off of his lap. 

“You don't think this feels good?” She gently applied suction to his neck. 

“Gaaah,” was what came out of his mouth. He scrambled sideways off the bed, finally getting away from her. 

“Veronica, I will not make out with you right now.” His hands were on his hips and he realized he was one pointing finger away from being a first grade teacher. He dropped his arms to his sides. She pouted. 

He winked, “Maybe later, when I'm sure you're coherent.”

If possible, she turned her pouty face up a notch. 

“Promise to be good?” He held his pinky out to her. 

Grumbling under her breath and now glaring at him, she held her good hand out and they awkwardly linked pinkies. 

“I promise,” she muttered. She was such a five year-old right now. “Stay with me,” She said petulantly. 

He wasn't sure if it was a question or a demand but he nodded and sat back down on the bed. Veronica quickly wrapped herself around him again. Her cast was heavy on his chest but he didn't mind. Those pain pills were the best thing that had happened to him in months. She still liked him, even after Felix, and Duncan, and Hannah. He felt light and it took him a while to name this foreign emotion--it was happiness. 

\-----

Veronica slept late the next morning, which Logan hoped was a good sign, her body working to repair itself or something. Just when he was getting worried enough to actually wake her himself, her eyes popped open. She had herself tucked into his side, arms still wrapped around him and her head pillowed on his chest. She snored softly in her sleep sporadically, and this intimate knowledge of her filled him with a contented warmth. 

“Hi,” he whispered. He wasn't sure what all she would remember from last night. 

“Hi,” she whispered back, and then pressed the heel of her hand against her temple. 

“Headache?” He asked, sympathetically. 

She nodded. 

“I'll get you something, but I think it's time to switch you off the hard stuff.” 

He ventured to the bathroom and returned with aspirin and a glass of water. She sat up carefully and swallowed both. 

“What happened last night?” She asked a few minutes later. Logan was scrutinizing her from the edge of the bed. 

“You took a little too much pain medicine, had some interesting mood swings.” Her eyes widened in surprise. “You got all handsy, then you pined for me, then you tried to ravish me.” He wagged his eyebrows. 

“Oh, god.” She laid back down on her back and covered her face in embarrassment. “I'm so sorry.”

“That's okay. I understand I'm nearly irresistible to women so you're not to blame,” he smirked at her. “Still want to resist this morning?”

She uncovered one eye, confused. 

“Loose lips sink ships, Mars, and you got all kinds of loose last night. You were mad at me for not flirting with you more and for only treating you like a friend.” He was insufferably smug. “Don't worry, I promised to make out with you this morning.”

“Oh, GOD.” Her anguished response was a bit muffled because she had thrown the duvet cover over her head. 

Logan worked his way under the blankets to torment her further. 

“Is it hot under here or is it just me?” He quipped. 

Veronica couldn't help herself. She knew it would only make him worse but that one took her by surprise and she burst out laughing. She had to throw the covers off their heads so that she could breathe. 

Once she stopped laughing, Logan rolled over on his side so he could stare at her. 

“So. Did you mean what you said?” His eyes were still sparkling but she could tell he wasn't making fun of her. 

“Well, I don't exactly remember what I said, and I'm not sure I trust you, either,” she paused, “but yeah, I was a little confused yesterday by the lack of flirting. It's just so...you,” she gestured, encompassing him, “and I was thrown off.”

“You were practically crying, because you thought I only liked you as a friend.”

Her face felt like it was on fire and she knew she must blushing furiously. 

“So either you have serious ego issues,” Logan went on, “and you need all your ex boyfriends to stay hung up on you,” he raised an eyebrow questioningly and she shook her head no, “or you're perhaps still hung up on me.” 

Damn those pain pills. While Logan might take advantage of her emotional vulnerability, she knew he would never take advantage of her physically while intoxicated. She took a deep breath. If she instinctively trusted him to take care of her like that, maybe she could try to trust him a little more with her emotions. 

“Perhaps.” Her teeth were clenched. Yeah, that non-committal response was her best try at emotional vulnerability. 

Logan's mouth stretched in a genuine smile. He started tracing his fingertip over her collarbone and she never wanted him to stop. 

Unfortunately, he wasn't done with the emotional torture yet. “You yelled at me for being a gentleman. When, in fact, earlier in the day you had thanked me for that.”

Veronica covered her face with her hands but he pried them off. 

“Sometimes girls are stupid?” She offered as an explanation. 

“Unacceptable,” Logan pronounced as his judgment. 

She gave an overly-dramatic sigh. “So I appreciated that you helped me with my...ribs,” she gestured at her breasts, “without making a big deal about it...but then I started thinking that maybe it wasn't a big deal and…” Veronica trailed off. 

“Oh.” Logan digested this. “Well, I was doing my best not to make you uncomfortable... and I don't want to make you uncomfortable now but you, topless, gives me all kinds of BIG deals.” He leered at her and she blushed. “But, see, I didn't do that because I wanted you to know that I can be helpful and I don't expect you to repay me in sexual favors. You can, of course,” he shrugged nonchalantly, “but because you want to, not because I made you feel like you had to.”

“See, that's better. I feel like I know where we stand when you are constantly making inappropriate sexual comments.” Veronica grinned at him. 

“That makes one of us. I'm still a little confused about where we stand.” Logan wasn't willing to be distracted by Veronica's desire to avoid real conversations. 

She rolled her eyes. “Gosh, you just won't give up.” 

He shook his head and nuzzled their noses together. “Nope.”

“Maybe I do still have more-than-friendly feelings for you.” She wouldn't meet his eyes and nervously bit her bottom lip. 

Logan took pity on her. “Would it help if I told you I maybe have the same feelings?” 

Veronica nodded and pulled him to her with one arm, rolling him on top of her and squeezing him tightly in a hug. Logan, still mindful of her bruised torso, did his best to keep his weight off her. 

After a minute he pulled back to look at her again. “So are you saying you would maybe want to give things another try?”

“Yes,” she said decisively. “I know we have a lot to talk about but…” she smirked at him, “I think now I will take you up on your kind offer.” She kissed him quickly on the lips. 

“Oh? Whatever do you mean?” He asked innocently, rolling them over so that she would be more comfortable on top. 

“Mmm.” She trailed kisses along his throat. “The morning make-out.”

“That offer. Right.” Logan wrapped one arm around her lower back and tangled the other one in her messy pigtails, bringing her lips to his in a searing kiss. He poured all his feelings into it, letting her know how much he had missed her, how worried he had been, and how excited he was to have her in his arms again. 

She knew. Because she felt the same.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm slightly obsessed with stories where Veronica or Logan get hurt and take care of each other. It might turn into a series. 
> 
> Also, I'd be interested in having a beta reader/mentor writer if there is anyone looking to fill that role :)


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